Palestinians in Bethlehem look beyond religious tourism

For deces, people of Bethlehem have watched tour buses drive up to Church of Nativity, disgorge ir passengers for a few hours at tritional birthplace of Jesus, and n return to Israel. But in recent years a new form of tourism has taken root, focused on West Bank town’s Palestinian residents, ir culture and history and ir struggles under Israeli occupation.

As pilgrims descend on Bethlehem this Christmas, y have option of staying in restored centuries-old guesthouses, taking food tours of local markets, and perusing dystopian art in and around a hotel designed by British graffiti artist Banksy.

centrepiece of tourism and focus of Christmas celebrations in coming weeks is 6th-century Church of Nativity, built on site where Jesus is believed to have been born in a manger. Extensive renovations in recent years have saved roof from collapse and revealed colourful wall mosaics depicting angels and saints.

Earlier this month, Vatican returned a small part of what Christians believe to be original manger, which was sent to Rome as a gift to pope in 7th century. thumb-sized relic, displayed in an ornate silver case, can be seen in a chapel joining church.

In Manger Square, just outside church, a massive Christmas tree has been set up and festivities are planned in coming weeks as various denominations hold staggered Christmas celebrations. On Jan. 7, Bethlehem will host an international Santa convention.

Tourism has suffered in past during outbreaks of violence between Israel and Palestinians. But Palestinian Tourism Ministry expects 3.5 million visitors to Bethlehem in 2019, up from 3 million previous year, and many think re is still room for growth.

“ general situation in Palestine and Holy Land is that re is very good security, better than most countries in world, and so people are visiting,” said Elias al-Arja, chairman of local hotel association.

He noted that while Holy Land includes most important sites in Christianity, including places where trition says Christ was born, where he grew up, was crucified and resurrected, it attracts far fewer visitors than Vatican. “We have opportunity to draw more people,” he said.

Religious tourism is a boon for local economy, but many Palestinians feel city’s modern residents are largely ignored.

Israel captured West Bank, along with east Jerusalem and Gaza Strip, in 1967 Middle East war. Palestinians view territories as part of ir national homeland and hope to one day establish an independent state.

Visitors travelling to Bethlehem pass through a sprawling Israeli checkpoint and n drive along separation wall, which Israel began building during second Palestinian intifa, or uprising, in early 2000s. Israel says barrier is needed to prevent attacks, but Palestinians view it as a land grab because its route places almost 10% of West Bank on Israeli side. Bethlehem itself is almost completely surrounded by barrier and a string of Jewish settlements.

town’s predicament is on vivid display in and around Walled-Off Hotel, which was designed by Banksy and opened in 2017. hotel looks out on separation wall, which itself is covered with artwork, graffiti and museum panels explaining life under occupation. Inside, a number of Banksy pieces are depicted in a haunting lobby, which this time of year is dimly lit with Christmas lights.

hotel offers weekly performances by local musicians and daily tours of a nearby Palestinian refugee camp. Tours of Banksy’s public artwork elsewhere in town can be organized on request.

A different form of alternative tourism, conceived by Palestinians mselves, can be found in city centre, just a few hundred meters (yards) from church. re municipality, with Italian aid, has restored an 18th-century guesthouse and rented it out to Fi Kattan, a French Palestinian chef.

Hosh Al-Syrian Guesthouse includes 12 tastefully furnished rooms ranging from $80-150 a night. At its Fawda Restaurant — Arabic for chaos — Kattan uses local ingredients to cook up tritional Palestinian cuisine with a modern twist.

“My vision was to say religious tourism will promote itself by itself, it doesn’t need private sector to promote it,” he said. “Let’s promote everything else. Let’s promote our food, let’s promote our culture, let’s promote our history.”

Kattan is especially keen to promote Palestinian cuisine, which he says has been appropriated by Israeli chefs and food writers. As with nearly everything else having to do with Middle East conflict, re are two sides: Israeli cuisine owes much to Jewish immigrants from ancient communities across Middle East and North Africa.

guesthouse partners with a local group known as Farayek to offer food tours in which visitors wander through local market, meeting farmers, butchers and bakers before having lunch at guesthouse. Anor program includes cooking classes taught by a Palestinian grandmor.

“What I was hoping to achieve is to have people stay three nights in Bethlehem, to have people go to fruit and vegetable market, to have people meet people of Bethlehem, not just very short tour into city,” he said.

When guesthouse opened in 2014, average stay was one night, but now it has risen to three and a half, with stey occupancy throughout low season, Kattan said.

A handful of or restored guesthouses have also opened in recent years, including Dar al-Majus, Arabic for House of Maji, named for three kings said to have visited manger after Christ was born.

guesthouse is part of a wider initiative by Franciscan Custody of Holy Land and a local association to support Christian community. Bethlehem’s Christian community, like ors across Middle East, has dramatically dwindled in recent deces as Christians have fled war and conflict or sought better economic opportunities abro.

A local family living next to guesthouse cooks breakfast and tritional meals for guests, and guesthouse employs members of anor two families. guesthouse mostly supplies itself from local market, and re are plans to expand to anor restored house in old quarter next year.

Bethlehem’s mayor, Anton Salman, expects recent growth in tourism to continue.

“Each season is more active and more organized and more attractive for local community in Palestine and for tourists,” he said.